Apparently, to me, this sign means: “Women, men in kilts, or people who enjoy sitting in recliners are welcome in this room.” Since I fall into the last category, its OK for me to stroll in, right?

Here’s the deal: my wife and 2 youngest daughters were looking at “capri pants” or some such girly thing. I thought we were about to leave, so I left the electronics department (where I was dreaming of buying a PS2 with Guitar Hero) and followed the fam’ to the front of the store.

When they stopped by the girl’s clearance rack, I figured I had some time to kill, so decided to jaunt to the bathroom. I’m not sure if Walmart stores all over put little displays of guitars and telescopes near the restrooms — but here in northern Michigan, there’s always guitars, telescopes, and metal detectors right outside the bathroom doors.

As I gazed longingly at a $300 telescope, I walked directly into the ladies room. Thankfully, a surprised shopper (of the female variety) was on her way out as I walked in, and I noticed my error by the mortified look on her face.

The good news? Well, apparently I’m manly enough that I don’t pass for a woman. It would have been much more damaging to my psyche if the woman thought it correct for me to walk into the same restroom she had just used. Also, it’s good that she was on her way out, and I didn’t run into her INSIDE the room as I looked around curiously for the urinals.

Oh well, no harm, no foul. I quickly did an about face and went into the proper room, where men get to just pee at the porcelain wall decorations. Heck, in Walmart, we don’t even have to flush anymore — there are sensors that do it for us. If only they could make sensors that automatically made guys wash their hands. Am I the only guy on the planet that actually washes his hands after using the bathroom? Don’t answer that, my manliness has been challenged enough today…

In an irony that I just relish, this post has been in my “draft” area for about 5 days.

Are you a procrastinator? I am. My whole life I’ve been trying to avoid being a procrastinator, but I think I just needed to redefine the rules to fit my tendencies. (nothing like redefining reality to suit your own needs, eh?)

It turns out that during my time of procrastination, I am subconsciously perfecting the end result. Oh yeah, I’m going to procrastinate MORE often. I urge you to do the same thing. If we all waited until the last minute, think how much more thought would go into things. We can make the world better — maybe not today, but when we get around to it.

If my methodology gets you into trouble with a spouse, parent, etc. — just use some old idioms back up your position. “Look before you leap”, “Patience is a virtue”, “never put off till tomorrow what you could do today”, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”, “you can’t rush perfection”, etc, etc.

Have a great day everyone. I’m going to go take a nap. 😉

I was going to post about 10 ways to make blogging fulfilling, but while I was surfing earlier, I came across a much better post. His list was slightly different, and only 8 points — but I’ll just send you a link. It was a great read.

I’m going to follow his advice, and leave him a comment. Maybe he’ll visit my blog as well. 🙂

Have a great night everyone.

I must admit, I’ve never had a journal. I know, I know, for someone who loves to write so much, it seems a shame not to have a journal. I never really realized how sad it was until I started regularly blogging.

I wish I had a journal for the last 30 years or so. It saddens me deeply that so much of my life has been forgotten. Is it egocentric to read your own journal entries? I think not. I’d love to rediscover myself, and be able to look back on hardships, etc, with the wisdom of time. Oh well, maybe I’ll start a journal now. Maybe I’ll consider *this* my journal, although it’s much more difficult to share the nitty-gritty details of life online.

I think later today I’m going to have a “10 ways to love blogging” or something similar. I’ve learned a lot exploring the blogosphere (gawd that’s a cheesy word), so I might as well write it down so I don’t forget it. ;o)

G’day everyone.

There are some words that have bad connotations bestowed upon them. We’d argue some are deserved, like the evils of “murder”, “adultery”, “saturated fat”, or “LA Clippers.” (I had to take a cheap shot at SOMEONE, and it’s unlikely that either Clippers fan will ever read my blog…)

Escapism, however, often gets a bad rap, and I don’t think it’s deserved. While there are definite forms of destructive escapism, that’s true of almost any virtuous thing. Avoiding population overcrowding is a great idea — genocide to accomplish that is not.

What is escapism you ask? Well, it’s any form of subversion from reality. It could be reading SciFi/Fantasy books. It could be using illicit drugs. It could be daydreaming. The idea is that it gets you mentally and/or physically away from your present situation.

I have a high stress job. I like to escape into many different worlds as a little vacation. *This* is one of those worlds. I explore my thoughts and the thoughts of others in the blog world. I also read a lot. I tend to read Fantasy, but more recently I’ve been drawn to hardcore Science Fiction. Is it wrong to escape from the drudgery of reality? Since cocaine and Asimov are both vehicles to escapism, does the former make the latter wrong by association?

I urge you to escape once and a while. Stepping out of the daily grind for a bit offers perspective that you just can’t get while in the thick. Read a book. Watch some TV. Play some Warcraft. Comment on my blog (or others, that was a shameless plug). Write something.

I’ll see you all later. I’m off to explore the ring-shaped alternative to a dyson sphere. I’ll bring you back a tasp.

I don’t mean to be conceited, but I’m darn good at Beyond Balderdash. I’m not sure if I should be proud, or ashamed, because the whole premise of the game is that the best liar wins. It is great fun, but what does it say about me?

A few months ago, I thought about purchasing the domain fakepedia.com, and filling it FULL of false information, just to see how creative I could be. It turns out that someone recently bought up my brain child domain name, so my chance is gone — but it still sounds like fun.

As things usually do, that got me thinking. I know many students in my district (I’m a Technology Director) consider the Internet a source of unending true facts. When google turns up a result for “what causes the tides”, and my site explaining the “expansion and contraction of underwater continental plates” comes up — there might be some interesting term papers that get submitted.

Why do I laugh at that mental image? Am I a bad person? (Don’t answer that…)

A blog reader named Rachel left a comment on my Thanksgiving post, and due to server problems, I didn’t see the comment until this morning. I felt so bad, I thought I’d make a blog post out of the comment, and drop Rachel an email with my apologies.

Rachel commented:

Hi Shawn,

My husband was laid off on 12/04/06 after 9 years with the same company. His two week severance check and our minimal savings (due to my college tuition last fall!) barely paid the bills this month. Needless to say we are terrified to face next month. We got approved for food stamps, but have no idea what to do about toilet paper, laundry soap, etc. And next months utilities… Needless to say reading your post helped me realize that other people face this situation all the time. You are now in a position to pay your bills… that in itself is inspiration to me. I would love any advice on how to cope. Thanks for your post.

Rachel,

I’m so sorry I missed your comment. Apparently, with all the server problems I’ve been having, I didn’t get an email notification of a comment. First off, I hope all is going well for you and your husband, and I’ll reply, however late it might be.

My heart really goes out to you, as I know how difficult it is to be faced with such a daunting outlook. I think it’s important to start with the realization that in the WORST case scenario, life will still go on. When I had the car accident, Donna and I ended up moving our family (2 year old and pregnant wife) into a spare room at my Mother in Law’s house. Even if you lose your house, car, get utilities shut off, cell phones shut off, etc, etc — with food stamps and a receptive friend/family member, you guys will survive. Even if you don’t have a friend or family member that will take you in, for the short term, a homeless shelter or camping in a tent (climate dependant) will work in a pinch. That said, let’s explore some more friendly options. 🙂

Firstly, an income is vital. Thankfully, where we live, food stamps are available for EXACTLY THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. Don’t feel bad about taking food stamps, the taxes you’ve always paid (and will continue to pay) are what funds the program. It’s designed for this type of situation. Back to my original point, however, an income is vital. Even in our bad economy, there ARE jobs available. Places like McDonalds are usually hiring, and they are very flexible regarding hours. That flexibility helps when interviews, etc. come into place later.

Don’t try too hard to get a “perfect” job at first. You’re not trying to build a career right now, you’re trying to survive while finding a career job. Donna (my wife) actually bussed tables part time at a local restaurant. It didn’t pay well, but it did pay. Also, it’s amazing the confidence and self esteem that even a little income can bring.

If your living condition is acceptable, and social tensions (ie, relationship with host) aren’t too bad, make sure to stay there until you can really afford to leave. I’m not saying you should overstay your welcome, but at the same time, don’t put yourself into a situation you can’t afford.

I’m not sure about your faith — but I urge you seek a local church. Not to look for handouts or anything, but rather to offer some Hope, Health, and yes, Help. Even if you’re not a “church person” — there are some really good people in churches. If you go to a Protestant type church (I’m a Baptist, I say Protestant because there are some other good denominations under that umbrella), there will be folks that want to help you. Yes, help in your faith — but also in whatever way they can. Many job opportunities start at church, along with many other life changing opportunities too. 🙂

Lastly I’ll end the post with a reminder to you and your husband. Financial hard times are stressful to a relationship in a way that is unexplainable. It can draw you closer, but it also has the potential to split you apart. Make sure to keep your relationship strong and supportive regardless of your situation.

I hope things are going well for you,
Shawn